Conventionally, such a printing apparatus has been known widely that forms an image such as a photograph of face and character information on a printing medium such as aplastic card. In such a printing apparatus, for example, an image (mirror image) is formed on a transfer film (intermediate transfer medium) with a thermal head via an ink ribbon, and next the image formed on the transfer film is transferred to a printing medium.
Generally, this type of printing apparatus constitutes a printing system together with a host computer. On a hard disk of the host computer is installed object generation application software for generating a desired image object corresponding to a printing medium, and when necessary, a printer driver for generating printing data for the printing apparatus from the image object, and the image objector printing data generated on the host computer side is delivered to the printing apparatus side (for example, see Patent Document 1).
In addition, on the printing medium exist regions such as a magnetic stripe arrangement area, IC storage area (particularly, contact type IC terminal area) and a signature field of an owner to which a transfer layer of the transfer film should not be transferred. When the transfer layer of the transfer film is transferred to the magnetic stripe arrangement area or the contact type IC storage area, there is the risk that a functional disorder occurs in the printing medium, and when the transfer layer of the transfer film is transferred to the signature field, it is difficult for the owner to sign in trying to sign.
To solve the problem, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses techniques for forming an image on a transfer film with an image formation panel of Y (Yellow), M (Magenta), C (Cyan) and Bk (Black) using an ink ribbon in which are disposed image formation panels and peel off panels, peeling off (an image of) a transfer layer in a region that should not be transferred to a recording medium in the image formed on the transfer film, and then, transferring the image with the transfer layer peeled off formed on the transfer film to a printing medium.